Michelin creating 100 more jobs in Anderson County

Tire maker investing another $200 million in plant

Anderson County Council members Eddie Moore and Cindy Wilson greet Michelin workers inside the companys facility in Starr.

Anderson Independent Mail

STARR - Michelin North America will invest $200 million to expand its rubber-processing plant in Starr. The move will create at least 100 new jobs in Anderson County.

Company Chairman and President Pete Selleck made the announcement Thursday in the center of the Starr plant, surrounded by sheets of rubber that are waiting to become tires.

Selleck said the expansion of the plant will happen in addition to the construction of a second plant on the same property. Cranes line the spot where the second plant is already under construction.

All told, the French tire maker has three plants in Anderson County, including a 2.5-million-square-foot rubber-processing plant that was built in Sandy Springs nearly 40 years ago. Michelin already has at least 700 employees in Anderson County, including 130 in Starr.

"I am proud to say this new expansion at this facility is one of the linchpins that will allow us to maintain Michelin's industry leadership in providing customers with the best tires in all categories," Selleck said.

"This is a zero risk for the company because of the employees," he said.

The expansion announced Thursday will make Anderson County home to two of Michelin North America's largest plants.

"South Carolina is the tire capital of the United States and Anderson County is going to be the tire capital of South Carolina," said Rusty Burns, the county's interim administrator.

The newest plant on the Starr site, which is separate from the expansion, is expected to roll out its first earthmover tire by the end of this year. Those tires are used in mining and in heavy construction work.

Michelin announced last April that it would invest $750 million and create 500 jobs in Anderson and Lexington counties to meet the demand for those earthmover tires. The bulk of that investment and job creation is headed to Anderson County.

"Every manufacturing job creates a ripple effect," Nelson said. "We're thrilled about this. They've got 800 acres out here and we want them to use every square inch."

Expanding the rubber-processing plant will allow Michelin to meet demands for tires of every kind and size, company officials said.

"When one of South Carolina's largest manufacturers chooses to expand here, it helps send the message that the Palmetto State is the right place to do business," Gov. Nikki Haley said in a prepared statement.

In the last 21 months, the company has committed to invest $1.15 billion and to create at least 870 new jobs in South Carolina.

Michelin temporarily halted production at the Starr plant Thursday to make the expansion announcement. Dozens of employees in blue coveralls gathered to hear it. Many of them had just finished working the night shift. Some had gone home and slept an hour and half and then had come back to learn more about what was happening at the plant.

"Rubber runs through our veins," said Rich Kornacki, executive vice president and head of specialty product lines. "And this is where the fun begins."

The South Carolina Department of Commerce said The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved a set-aside grant of $1.5 million for site preparation and approved job-development credits.

Anderson County Council Chairman Francis Crowder said Michelin's Sandy Springs plant, built nearly 40 years ago, was "the foundation and catalyst for the growth we see here today."

He told the crowd that when he bought his wife, Marian, a car, he refused to accept it from the dealer until the tires that were on it were replaced with ones made by Michelin.

Crowder made a pitch for the company to move its North American headquarters from Greenville to Anderson County.

"Think about it," he said. "We have the lake here. You could go fishing early."